BHUBANESWAR: Expressing serious concern over the rising human and animal casualty due to lightning strikes in the recent years, the Odisha government has demanded that it should be declared a natural disaster. Claiming that over 4,000 people have lost their lives to lightning strikes in the state in the last 20 years, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Pramilla Mallick on Wednesday said that the state government has recently submitted a proposal in this regard to the Centre.
The minister said that the state government had also taken up the matter with an Union minister and he assured that the Centre will look into the matter. Lighting was declared a state-specific disaster in 2015.
Mallick said the state government is providing an ex-gratia of `4 lakh to the family of the deceased in lightning strike. If lightning is included in the list of natural disasters, the family members of the deceased will get enhanced compensation as per the existing provisions. She, however, said that the government is yet to get a response from the Centre in this regard.
“Odisha government has given a proposal to the Centre in this regard. However, we are yet to get a response. We have also discussed the matter with a Union Minister and he has assured to look into our demands,” she stated.
The state government in its proposal has maintained that as many as 12 persons were killed in extreme thunderstorms and lightning activities across Odisha on September 2.The highest number of deaths was reported from Khurda district where four people were killed. While two deaths were reported in Bolangir, a death each was reported from Angul, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri districts.
Latest casualties
September 2: 12 killed
Khurda -4
Bolangir: 2
Angul, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur,
Puri : 1 each